


The 80/20 Principle

by Tkeyla



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Dom/sub, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-16
Updated: 2013-03-16
Packaged: 2017-12-05 12:32:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/723343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tkeyla/pseuds/Tkeyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve knows that there is something that Danny wants from him, even if Danny can't put a name to it. Turns out, what he wants is something Steve is more than happy to provide, at least 20% of the time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The 80/20 Principle

**Author's Note:**

> **Special Thanks** go to dante_s_hell for assuring me that the story works.  
>  Thanks also owed to the LJ Community 1_million_words for the WIP push!! Don't know that I would have finished the story without encouragement from this awesome community!!
> 
> There may be additional chapters written, if my muses think it's a good idea.
> 
> Feedback is love!!!

It was their one year anniversary and Steve had made all the arrangements to return to the luxury resort where they’d spent their honeymoon. With full assurances from the Governor that they would have an uninterrupted 72 hours all to themselves, they had arrived last night in time for dinner.  
  
Danny was still sleeping and Steve took the opportunity to simply watch him. His face was soft and relaxed, his hair everywhere from their activities last night. Steve smiled to himself as he thought about the noises he had rung from Danny. He knew he’d made some of his own interesting sounds and hoped the day would bring even more reactions from them both.  
  
Steve lightly skimmed over Danny’s golden back, letting the hair tickle his palm. Danny snuffled into the pillow scrunched up under his head but didn’t move. Steve increased the pressure, Danny moving lazily.  
  
“It’s creepy when you stare at me,” Danny’s muffled voice said into the pillow.  
  
“It’s not creepy at all,” Steve denied, leaning down to kiss Danny’s broad shoulder. “It’s…. romantic.”  
  
“You wouldn’t know romantic if it walked up to you and shook your hand,” Danny claimed, his eyes still closed. But Steve could hear the amused affection in the tone.  
  
“Not true,” Steve said, kissing his shoulder again. “Are you planning to sleep _all_ day?”  
  
“What time is it?” Danny asked reluctantly.  
  
“0747,” Steve informed him.  
  
“Oh. My. God. We are on vacation, Steven. Vacation. Try to get it through that thick skull of yours what that means.”  
  
Steve laughed, kissing the side of his mouth. As expected, Danny’s tongue peeked out to taste the kiss. It was reflex, one beyond Danny’s control.  
  
“Why can’t you let me sleep?” Danny complained, rolling onto his back to glare at Steve. He threw one arm over his head, staring up at Steve. “Why is that such a difficult concept for you?”  
  
Steve smiled down at him before kissing him properly. “I miss you.”  
  
“You are such a goof,” Danny said, shaking his head. “What do you need to do so urgently that you have to wake me up in the middle of the night?”  
  
“0747 hardly qualifies as the middle of the night, babe,” Steve informed him.  
  
“It is when we’re on a very rare vacation,” Danny countered. “Let me guess. You want to run up the side of a mountain and think I should go with you.”  
  
“Nope,” Steve said, shaking his head. “I want to talk.”  
  
“Talk?” Danny said suspiciously. “You _never_ want to talk. You only do it because you finally realize you live in a society where verbal communication is expected.”  
  
“That is completely untrue,” Steve said indignantly. “I talk. You just don’t notice because you don’t stop long enough to listen.”  
  
“Whatever,” Danny said, waving a hand in dismissal. “Okay. I’m awake. Get me coffee and I’ll talk about whatever subject is percolating in that scary brain of yours.”  
  
Steve nodded, leaving the bed for the kitchenette tucked in the corner of the luxury suite. He could feel Danny’s eyes on him as he crossed over naked, pouring Danny a cup of steaming coffee before bringing it back. Danny had slid up the headboard, accepting the cup with a smile. Steve thought the smile was as much about his state of undress as it was about the coffee.  
  
“Now,” Danny said, sipping it with a nod approval. “What is so urgent that you had to wake me up to talk about it?”  
  
“I don’t believe I actually woke you up,” Steve said. “You were just pretending to be asleep.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny said. “But you clearly have something on your mind. I can see it written all over you.” That Danny was meeting Steve’s eyes meant he wasn’t worried about the impending conversation. His calm confidence helped to sooth Steve’s nerves a little.  
  
“What do you want?” Steve finally asked, deciding not to dance around the question that had been plaguing him for a while.  
  
“I have everything I want right here,” Danny assured him, reaching over to place a warm hand over Steve’s heart. Steve could see the truth, the love, in Danny’s sparkling blue eyes. “You and Grace. That’s all I need.”  
  
“I feel the same,” Steve agreed, reaching over for a coffee flavored kiss. “There is something else you want.”  
  
“World peace and an end to hunger?” Danny said, slightly confused by Steve’s insistence.  
  
“No,” Steve said gently.  
  
“You’re going to have to help me out here, babe. I don’t know what you’re asking,” Danny admitted, studying Steve’s open, loving expression.  
  
Steve took a deep breath and a hold of Danny’s hand, kissing his palm. “You want something from me. But I don’t know what it is.”  
  
“I want you to be more careful. I want you to use less ammunition. To wait for back-up,” Danny said.  
  
Steve shook his head. “It’s something you want from _me_.”  
  
“Again, I’m not reading you, babe. Can you spell it out for me?”  
  
“It’s the 80/20 rule,” Steve said, Danny frowning in confusion. “80% of the time when we make love, you are with me 100%. The other 20% of the time, I only have 80% of you.” Steve studied Danny. His blue eyes clouded over momentarily and his mouth was in a straight line before he shook his head.  
  
“I am with you 100% of the time,” Danny finally said. But Steve could see the prevarication in his expression and could hear it in his tight voice.  
  
“That’s not true,” Steve said gently. “There’s something you want that I’m not giving you. If you don’t tell me what it is, I can’t take care of that 20%.”  
  
“There is no 20%,” Danny claimed. That he was staring down at his coffee cup instead of looking at Steve told Steve that Danny knew exactly what he was talking about. Now to get Danny to admit what it was.  
  
“Do you want to top more?” Steve asked. They mostly took turns but if Steve counted it up, he knew he topped slightly more often. Logistics of size made it more natural. He enjoyed being bottom as much so if that was it, he’d make a concerted effort that Danny topped more than bottomed.  
  
“No,” Danny said more sharply than Steve expected.  
  
“Okay,” Steve said. “Whatever it is you want, you know you can tell me. This is a judgment free zone.”  
  
Danny froze, completely motionless until he reached over and carefully put his cup on the nightstand. Steve didn’t try to stop him when he left the bed, silently crossing over to the bathroom.  
  
“Well,” Steve said to himself when he flopped down on the bed. “That could have gone better.” He lay staring up at the ceiling, hoping he hadn’t ruined their weekend. But it had been clear to him for some time that Danny was looking for something Steve was not providing him. And he could not determine what that was. He felt like it was a personal failing and simply wanted to give Danny the entire world if that’s what he desired - as admittedly sappy as that sounded inside Steve’s head. Danny was the entire world to Steve and it hurt him that Danny wanted something that Steve didn’t give him.  
  
“I’m going to the beach,” Danny’s voice said, startling Steve from his internal ramblings. “Do you want to come with me?” Danny looked vacant, hiding everything he was thinking behind a façade of blankness. It tore at Steve to see it.  
  
“Of course. I’ll put on my trunks,” Steve agreed.  
  
“I have the towels,” Danny said, turning for the door of the suite and leaving before Steve had the chance to reply.  
  
Steve pulled on his swim trunks and took some water out of the frig before leaving to cross over the small dune that separated their accommodations from the beach. It was mostly empty so early in the day, a young couple with their two small children some distance away.  
  
Steve stood by the blanket Danny had spread out. Danny was staring out at the water, his body unnaturally still.  
  
“You swimming?” Danny asked, not looking up at Steve.  
  
“Yeah,” Steve decided. “You put on sunscreen?”  
  
Danny nodded, still not meeting Steve’s eyes.  
  
“All right,” Steve said. He went to the water’s edge, diving under a wave coming up to greet him. As he swam, he could only hope that either Danny would be able to tell him the truth or would forgive him for asking.  
  
When he was feeling a familiar breathlessness, he waded ashore and up to the blanket. He accepted a towel from Danny who looked up at him, his expression very carefully neutral, even his eyes betraying none of his thoughts.  
  
Steve sat down beside Danny, not touching him. It was up to Danny now. Steve would have to content himself to wait. He drank from one of the water bottles, enjoying the sun beating down on his back as it evaporated the remaining ocean droplets.  
  
“Sometimes,” Danny said very quietly, his voice rough, his tone uncertain. “Sometimes when we are working, you give an order and….”  
  
Steve glanced over at him, waiting. He knew there was more to come. He could give Danny the space he needed to tell him the rest.  
  
“Sometimes it’s all I can do not to throw you to the ground right there,” Danny said, his cheeks and neck turning red but not from the sun. “You get this tone.”  
  
Steve waited. It wasn’t making sense but he knew Danny would get there in his own time with his own words.  
  
“You sound…in charge. Authoritative. _Powerful_ ,” Danny said, the last word whispered.  
  
“Mmm…” Steve responded, hoping to sound noncommittal but encouraging. He knew Danny could manage all that with a sound but didn’t know if he had that same talent.  
  
“You don’t use it in bed,” Danny said. “Which…you know… makes sense. Except…”  
  
“Except it’s a turn-on for you,” Steve said when Danny stopped. He was beginning to understand. He’d had his share of mental sexual responses to the sound of being ordered around. Not every time. Not even most of the time. But often enough.  
  
“Yeah,” Danny said quietly. “I want you to…uhm… order me. To make me….”  
  
“Okay,” Steve said with a  nod.  
  
“No. Not okay,” Danny retorted. “Not okay at all. It’s not normal. It’s stupid. We’re in love. You aren’t the boss of me. Not like that.”  
  
“I know you can’t believe you are the only person in the world who has ever wanted to give up control to their partner. Or in our case, his husband. It’s perfectly normal,” Steve assured him. He reached over to put his hand on top of Danny’s where it was resting on the blanket, glad when Danny didn’t snatch his hand away from the contact. “We can do that, if it’s what you want.”  
  
“First of all, it’s sick in the head. And second, it’s not fair to you,” Danny said.  
  
“It’s not sick at all, babe,” Steve said gently. “It’s normal. Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. I know you’ve heard that saying. And I can order you around in bed if that’s what you want.”  
  
“But….” Danny said, shaking his head and turning to look at Steve, pleading in his eyes.  
  
“Why do you think it’s such an abomination? We’re two consenting adults. What we do between us is just that – between us. It’s completely normal and healthy for us to want to explore other parts of our nature.”  
  
“Is it?” Danny whispered.  
  
“Of course it is. Who said it wasn’t? We’ve done some pretty…interesting things since we got together.”  
  
“Yeah,” Danny agreed. “They were your idea.”  
  
“Is that a problem? That I’m a little more adventurous than you?”  
  
“NO, no,” Danny said more sharply than he intended. “I like trying the new things you suggest.”  
  
“I thought you did but now I’m a little concerned,” Steve admitted.  
  
“Being raised the way we were can give you some strange ideas about ‘normal,’” Danny finally admitted. “I mean, my parents love us unconditionally but what is and is not appropriate in the bedroom was never high on their list of dinner-time topics. I lived at home through college. Then I married Rachel. Vanilla was pretty exciting, to be honest.”  
  
“I can understand that,” Steve said. “If you want to go all the way to chocolate, we can. Or we can try butterscotch first then see what other flavors we might want to introduce.”  
  
“That barely makes sense,” Danny said. But the words were delightful to Steve because he was nearly laughing when he said them.  
  
Steve shrugged. “I don’t have a lot of experience that isn’t standard issue. But we have Google and our imaginations.”  
  
“We don’t need Google for what I want to try,” Danny admitted reluctantly.  
  
“Even better,” Steve said. “Tell me.”  
  
“Not here, please.”  
  
“Of course not,” Steve said, leaning closer to kiss him. “Whenever you are ready.”  
  
Danny nodded, leaning into the kiss, his tongue darting out to taste Steve’s mouth. “I love you. That has nothing to do with this.”  
  
“That’s understood,” Steve assured him.  
  
“Good,” Danny said.  
  
They lounged about on the beach for a while longer before returning to their suite to shower, and then went to the restaurant for breakfast. It was a leisurely meal, no rush to be anywhere, no responsibilities to see to.  
  
Danny called Grace because he couldn’t go 24 hours without talking to her. She told him about her Saturday so far. It surprised him how much she managed to cram into one morning and he told her that. She giggled in delight and demanded to know what Danno and Uncle Steve had done. He gave her the details of the activities that were suitable for young ears, Grace deciding he needed to at least swim with the dolphins.  
  
“Okay, baby. We’ll try to swim with the dolphins tomorrow,” Danny promised.  
  
“Good. And tell Uncle Steve not to fight them for the raw fish,” she giggled, proud of her joke.  
  
“You tell him,” he said, giving the phone to Uncle Steve. He gazed at the ocean as Steve chatted with Grace, the sounds equally soothing to him.  
  
“Grace loves her Danno,” Steve said as he sat in the comfortable chair on the balcony next to Danny.  
  
“And her Uncle Steve,” Danny confirmed.  
  
Steve nodded, content to sit next to Danny, to enjoy the view and the melody of the ocean. Life didn’t get much better if he were to admit it to himself. He was always afraid to be too relaxed or happy about his life circumstances. That could lead to them being snatched away. For now, he could revel in the happiness he’d found in a place he’d never expected to – a short, loud haole. Who’d have guessed?  
  
“What are you smiling so about?” Danny teased, smiling in response to Steve’s.  
  
“How lucky I am,” Steve admitted. “Little afraid to say it out loud.”  
  
“I get that,” Danny agreed. “So here’s the thing.” Danny took a deep breath, looking out over the ocean, unable to meet Steve’s eyes. “Sometimes…not all the time. But sometimes I want to give over control. To you. In bed.”  
  
“Okay,” Steve said, hoping to sound encouraging.  
  
“But there have to be rules,” Danny said firmly.  
  
“Rules.”  
  
“It all has to be contained in the zone. When we’re doing it, we’re doing it only while we’re in the zone. Not at work. Not all the time. Only when we agree that that’s what we’re doing.”  
  
“Makes sense.” Steve waited, knowing there was more to come.  
  
“I’ve never done it before. I don’t really know how much I want,” Danny said. He sounded more tentative than before. Steve waited. Danny would sort it out. “I know I want you to…uhhh… order me to give you a blow job. To get you off without return.”  
  
“We can do that.”  
  
“I guess we need a…mmm…safe word,” Danny said quietly. Steve couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or reluctant or just feeling his way carefully over these new concepts.  
  
“We can use stoplights,” Steve said.  
  
“Stoplights.”  
  
“Red means stop. Yellow means slow down. Green means go,” Steve said.  
  
“Have you ever… do you have experience?” Danny asked quietly.  
  
“No. But I’ve read enough porn to know how it works,” Steve said with a causal shrug.  
  
“You don’t read porn,” Danny said, frowning over at him.  
  
“Not any longer. But SEALs don’t ban books. Nor do they check the contents when you order them off the internet.”  
  
“Ahh…” Danny said. Steve could see that made sense to him. “Did you read a lot of this kind of porn?”  
  
“No. It mostly snuck in. Nothing hard core. But enough that I have an idea of what it is you’re looking for,” Steve said.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, relaxing slightly. “Okay. Stoplights are good.”  
  
“What about when you refuse?” Steve asked.  
  
“When I refuse?” Danny asked, glancing over at him with a frown. “Why would I refuse?”  
  
“Because part of the power dynamic is you refusing. So I can exert control,” Steve said. He kept his voice casual, the same tone he generally used to discuss the fact that they needed to stop and pick up toilet paper on their way home. Like talking about Danny submitting to him was as everyday an occurrence as stopping at the market.  
  
“Oh. Well,” Danny said, considering Steve’s words. “I’m not opposed to being…uhm… punished.” The last word was whispered, almost embarrassed. Steve decided they would work on acceptance as time went by. If they were going to do this, eventually Danny was going to have to be okay with it or they would have no choice but to stop.  
  
“Punished,” Steve said, an invitation to elaborate.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Can you tell me what you mean?” Steve requested. He knew how he would interpret it but he wasn’t about to put words in Danny’s mouth or ideas in his head.  
  
“I don’t know,” Danny said. But Steve thought he did know. It was admitting it that he was having trouble with.  
  
“Do you want to include corporal punishment? Time-outs? Revocation of privileges?” Steve coaxed gently.  
  
“Yes,” Danny whispered, looking down at his hands clutched tightly in his lap.  
  
“Danno,” Steve said warmly, reaching over to cover his fists with his right hand. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. This is normal. If you are having doubts, we can forget this entire conversation.”  
  
“I don’t have doubts about wanting,” Danny finally said after a lengthy pause. “I have doubts about admitting.”  
  
“I understand,” Steve said. “We’ll work on that too.”  
  
“How does this make you feel? Are you going to resent me for….needing you like this?”  
  
“Babe. Giving orders is as natural as breathing to me. You know that,” Steve said, a warm hand on Danny’s red cheek. “I’ll do as much or as little as you want. Or need.”  
  
“I know,” Danny agreed, taking a deep breath. “We can’t tell anyone about this.”  
  
“Of course not. It stays completely between us. No one else needs to know,” Steve confirmed.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said with a nod.  
  
“I need you to do one thing before we talk about starting,” Steve said, catching Danny’s eye.  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“I need you to make a list of acceptable and unacceptable activities. And those things you aren’t sure about. A list with three columns – yes, no, maybe. I have to understand what’s going through your mind so I know how far it can go.”  
  
“That makes sense,” Danny agreed with a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll make the list. And we’ll discuss it?”  
  
“If that’s what you want, absolutely. Or you give it to me and I follow it.”  
  
“Discuss it,” Danny said with a nod.  
  
“Sure,” Steve agreed. “What do you say if we take a walk? Get some fresh air.”  
  
“Sounds good,” Danny agreed in relief. “We need to get Grace a present.”  
  
“We’ll go down to the open air market. They’ll have the perfect thing,” Steve said with a nod.  
  
~o0o~  
  
It was Saturday, two weeks after they’d gotten home from their anniversary trip. Danny entered the garage where Steve was staring at the Marquis. Not wanting interrupt his silent battle of wills with the car, Danny nearly left. Instead, he moved closer and silently handed Steve a sheet of paper. On it were three columns. The first was entitled YES, the second NO, the third MAYBE. The YES was by far the longest.  
  
Steve read all three columns, conscious of Danny standing on the opposite side of the car, trying hard not to shuffle his feet in nervousness. Steve hadn’t brought up the conversation about submitting, waiting for Danny to come to him. Otherwise, he’d been afraid Danny would misinterpret it as Steve trying to force a decision on him.  
  
“Well,” Steve said, smiling over at Danny. Danny let out a breath, releasing some of his more obvious tension with it. “This is quite thorough. It reminds me why you fill out our reports.”  
  
“You do them and all hell breaks loose,” Danny reminded him.  
  
“There is that,” Steve had to agree. “You want to discuss this?”  
  
“Yes,” Danny said with a nod.  
  
“All right,” Steve agreed, leading him out onto the beach and settling in their chairs.  
  
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Danny had to ask, gesturing at the sheet of paper where he’d laid himself bare. It was all there, what he wanted, what he didn’t, what he was willing to consider. He found the experience more cathartic then embarrassing, which in itself was a revelation. He had never realized he had so many hidden desires. Although it might explain why he’d married Rachel as he looked back on their sometimes tumultuous relationship.  
  
“I don’t mind at all,” Steve said, reaching over for Danny’s hand and holding tightly to it. “And if you have any doubts, you are to tell me. At any time. Under any circumstance.”  
  
“I will,” Danny said, sounding confident in that part of it. He wasn’t anyone’s push-over although he was willing to learn to at least partially be Steve’s.  
  
“First question is when do you want to start?” Steve asked, looking into the blue eyes that held his soul.  
  
“Tomorrow,” Danny said, slightly breathless.  
  
“You sure?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes to study Danny.  
  
“Please don’t ask me that. I need to start and if you let me change my mind, I may.”  
  
“If you aren’t sure, Danno,” Steve started.  
  
“I am sure. It’s admitting it I’m still struggling with,” Danny said.  
  
“All right. We’ll work on that,” Steve said. “As soon as you wake up. We’ll stop at noon the first time. I don’t want to risk overwhelming you.”  
  
“And if I want it to go longer?” Danny asked tentatively.  
  
“It won’t be your decision. You have the power to stop it. You do not have the power to extend it,” Steve explained.  
  
“Fair enough,” Danny agreed.  
  
“You’ll get up and shower but you won’t get dressed.” Steve paused, glancing over at Danny who nodded in understanding. “How much do you want tomorrow?”  
  
“Can you decide, please? I’ll tell you if it’s too much,” Danny requested.  
  
“I can do that,” Steve agreed. “You’ll use the stoplights. You will be punished even if you don’t deserve it.”  
  
“Oh,” Danny said with a tiny gasp. “I thought it was just for infractions.”  
  
“Spanking is in the YES column,” Steve reminded him. “Do you want to move it?”  
  
“You’ll punish me whether I obey or not?” Danny asked, confused by this turn of events.  
  
“It’s part of it, isn’t it,” Steve said in coaxing. “I’ll explain everything. I know it sounds arbitrary but you’ll see the logic, the patterns.”  
  
“I’m not sure,” Danny said, staring out over the ocean.  
  
“Danno,” Steve said, gently guiding Danny to meet his eyes. “Submitting is a total experience. We can cross that line or stay on this side of it. There are no half measures.”  
  
“Yes,” Danny said with a deep breath. “Okay.”  
  
“Okay,” Steve said, glancing back at the list. He asked for clarification on a few of the items, Danny explaining his reasoning. Steve nodded, making mental notes. Some of the MAYBEs would end up in the YES column more quickly than some of the others. Some of the NOs would be discussed as they progressed, eventually to also be moved to the affirmative. Danny didn’t need to know that right away. It would come with time.  
  
“Once it starts,” Steve said warmly but firmly. “You are giving up control. You understand that?”  
  
“Yes,” Danny said, nodding.  
  
“We will not negotiate. You will use your stoplights when you need them. Otherwise you’ll do as I say.”  
  
“Yes,” Danny agreed again.  
  
Steve smiled at him, shaking his head. “You’re not going to succeed. You know this, right?”  
  
Those words made Danny frown. Was Steve questioning his willingness? “I can do it,” Danny protested.  
  
“Babe. You’ve argued with me about every single aspect of our professional and personal lives. You can’t turn it off like a switch,” Steve said.  
  
“Oh,” Danny said. “Are you questioning my intelligence?”  
  
“Never. It’s your nature to be yin to my yang. That’s why we work so well,” Steve said.  
  
“Huh. I never thought about it quite like that,” Danny admitted. “I probably will argue,” he conceded.  
  
“It’s fine. You’re willing to accept the consequences and that’s what this is really about.”  
  
“Do you think…” Danny stopped, studying Steve with a scary intensity.  
  
“Do I think what? Tell me what you’re pondering.”  
  
“What if I stop arguing with you completely?” Danny finally asked.  
  
“Not going to happen,” Steve assured him. “You said it yourself. When we’re in the zone, it’s one thing. It’s not going to change your fundamental nature.”  
  
“You’re sure,” Danny said, no question in his tone.  
  
“I am,” Steve said.  
  
“Okay. You want some lunch?” Danny asked, standing in front of Steve and looking down at him, love on his face.  
  
“What should we have?” Steve asked in response, smiling up at him.  
  
Danny shrugged, holding out a hand to go with Steve into the kitchen to find something for them to eat.  
  
~o0o~  
 _  
_Danny woke the next morning with a mixture of excitement and anxiety warring for top place in his brain. He wanted the experience of submitting to Steve but was still trying to convince himself it was _normal._ Steve kept assuring him it was but there was part of him that felt like he was requesting something completely perverse.  
  
Rather than dwell on what it meant, he left the bed to take a shower. He had felt Steve get up an hour earlier, no doubt swimming for most of that time.  
  
When he had showered, he went downstairs, heeding Steve’s instructions to not dress. It felt strange to walk around the house naked but he didn’t mind. It was freeing, to his surprise.  
  
“Good morning,” Steve said with a bright smile when Danny walked into the kitchen. He was wearing jeans and a blue polo, looking as delicious as ever. He kissed Danny on the mouth, his hands exploring some of the bare skin that was so tempting to him. “You slept, right?”  
  
“I did,” Danny agreed, eyeing the coffee pot.  
  
“Go ahead,” Steve said with a laugh, patting Danny’s round, luscious bottom as he walked over to it. “Then have a seat and I’ll give you breakfast.”  
  
“Omelets?” Danny asked, sniffing the air as he put cream and sugar into his cup.  
  
“Yes, with ham and cheese. You’ll need the protein. No pineapple,” Steve promised. He was watching Danny the entire time, enjoying the opportunity to see all of him.  
  
Having Steve’s eyes trained on him was second nature to Danny, Steve often watching him. Danny thought secretly that Steve was afraid his good luck was going to run out and Danny would just up and disappear. Maybe this new aspect of their relationship wasn’t born purely out of a need Danny had. It occurred to him that it might be Steve that needed it as much as he did.  
  
“You can still change your mind,” Steve whispered into his ear. He’d wrapped long, warm arms around Danny’s middle, hugging him back into his body, supporting his weight.  
  
“No,” Danny said, glancing at the clock on the stove that said 8:34. “Until noon.”  
  
“Noon,” Steve agreed. “Here are the rules,” he said in his hardest ‘you’ll do as you’re told’ voice, the one that caused this to start. He turned Danny within the circle of his arms. “No talking unless I ask you a direct question or you need to use the stoplights. You’ll do as I say or be punished. You will be punished at any rate so you become accustom to it.”  
  
Danny nodded, looking down at his coffee cup and unable to meet Steve’s eyes.  
  
“Do you have any questions before we begin?” Steve asked in the same stern tone. His voice was in sharp contrast to the gentle kiss he pressed to Danny’s forehead.  
  
Danny shook his head, taking a deep breath. His eyes widened when Steve took a sturdy chain out of his pocket. It was made to be a dog collar, the links not as large as some he had seen.  
  
“This is your mark of submission,” Steve explained as he looped it around Danny’s neck and fastened it. It was still warm from being inside Steve’s pocket, the two warm tags resting directly below the hollow at the base of his neck. Danny looked down but couldn’t make out the words. “This one says ‘Property of,’” Steve told him, picking up the first. “’Steve McGarrett,’” he read off the second. “You’ll wear it only when we are in the zone. Otherwise, it will be put away and kept out of sight from everyone.”  
  
Danny considered this unexpected development, trying to decide how he felt about it. Ultimately he knew his opinion didn’t matter. Steve had made the decision and Danny was in no position to alter it.  
  
“Do you understand?” Steve asked in the tone he used for suspects on the rare occasions he read them their Miranda Rights.  
  
Danny nodded, reaching up to touch the silver dog tags. Their weight against his chest was much heavier than could be accounted for by the material alone. They were weighted down by what they meant.  
  
“All right. Go sit at the table,” he ordered.  
  
Danny went into the dining room, the tags quietly jangling against each other. He liked the sound they made, a reminder that he was Steve’s. And that made Steve his.  
  
He sat in his customary chair, relieved to find it covered with a fluffy towel. That took care of one of his unspoken concerns. It wasn’t long before Steve entered with one plate containing an omelet, and a glass of orange juice. “Drink,” Steve instructed, handing him the orange juice. Danny drank it all down, licking his lips when it was gone. “Do you want more?”  
  
Danny nodded and Steve left long enough to refill it. When he got back, he sat in his usual chair, cutting up the omelet into bite-size pieces. He speared one and held it up for Danny to take. Danny stared at it momentarily, his mouth set in a stern line of refusal.  
  
“You are going to eat this omelet,” Steve warned him. “That is not a question.”  
  
Danny reluctantly opened his mouth to allow the piece onto his tongue. He was a little afraid he’d choke on it but managed to chew and swallow in time for the next piece Steve held ready.  
  
When half of the omelet was gone, Danny shook his head.  
  
“You’re refusing?” Steve asked in a hard tone.  
  
Danny shook his head again, looking down at the omelet rather than into Steve’s cool grey eyes.  
  
“Then what?”  
  
Danny met his gaze, a question in Danny’s eyes.  
  
“Tell me,” Steve said more gently.  
  
“I’m not hungry,” Danny admitted quietly.  
  
“You’re too nervous?” Steve asked, stroking Danny’s thigh under the hand that had rested there.  
  
“Yes,” Danny agreed.  
  
“Two more bites and we’ll stop,” Steve decided, spearing the next one and feeding it to Danny. One more and Steve put down the fork. “Finish your orange juice.” Danny frowned when Steve picked up his coffee cut as well as the plate. “I’m just going to refill it,” Steve said with a laugh, kissing his head before taking the dishes to the kitchen. It didn’t take long for him to return, handing Danny his precious coffee. “Come with me,” Steve said. Danny automatically stood to follow him into the living room.  
  
Steve went to the coffee table where there was a large black box with no markings on it. “This is our toy box,” Steve explained. “You aren’t to touch it unless I specifically instruct you to. It will be stored in the very top of our closet behind some other boxes so no one will find it. This is where we’ll put your collar when you’re not wearing it.”  
  
Danny nodded in understand, remaining where he was when Steve approached the box and opened the lid. He extracted a flexible rubber dildo, smaller around and shorter than Steve was. Danny had no doubt concerning the purpose of it.  
  
Steve sat on the couch and held a hand out to Danny. “Over here.”  
  
Danny approached, allowing Steve to pull him down and over his thighs. It was a little awkward but Danny didn’t really mind. He spread his legs apart when told, enjoying Steve’s strokes on the backs and insides of his thighs. He missed the feel of Steve’s hands when he stopped touching him, reaching over for the bottle of lube.  
  
“You’re going to have this inside while you are submitting,” Steve told him, slicking it up. “It will no doubt arouse you. But if you touch yourself, you will not appreciate the consequences. Nod if you understand.”  
  
Danny nodded, taking a deep breath as Steve slowly inserted it into his body. It stretched him as it slid up but not so much that it hurt. He had doubts about it staying in place but as long as he didn’t touch it or himself, it wasn’t really his worry.  
  
“Is it hurting you?” Steve asked, pressing on the end of it so it edged deeper.  
  
Danny shook his head, closing his eyes to will his erection down. Having it inside him was an instant hard-on and he wondered how long he would remain aroused. Surely he’d become accustom to it and his cock would relax.  
  
“Good boy,” Steve said, patting his bottom, caressing him. “Can you kneel between my knees or do you need to sit?”  
  
Danny turned to look up at him, not entirely sure what to do.  
  
“You can answer,” Steve said. “You are going to blow me. I’d prefer you kneeling on the floor but not at the risk of hurting your knee.”  
  
“I’ll kneel,” Danny said.  
  
“Very good,” Steve said, helping maneuver him onto his knees on a flat cushion already on the floor between Steve’s feet. Steve put his arms on the back of the couch, looking down at Danny. “No hands. Keep them behind your back.”  
  
Danny frowned momentarily before straightening enough to take Steve’s fly between his teeth. It was awkward but rewarding when he got his jeans unbuttoned. Unzipping them sent shivers through his body, the vibrations uncomfortable. That made Steve laugh softly at him. “Next time I’ll wear button fly jeans,” Steve said, Danny nodding in agreement. Not surprisingly, Steve was going commando, easing Danny’s access.  
  
Steve was already more than half hard. Danny was afraid of hurting him by pulling him all the way out with his mouth. He looked up at Steve and back at his erection, the silent question plain. “Thank you,” Steve said. “Use one hand then put them behind your back.”  
  
Danny eased Steve’s erection free then clasped his hands at the small of his back as instructed. He licked Steve, as always enjoying his flavors. He was the only man Danny had ever done this for and couldn’t imagine ever doing it to anyone else. He was so addicted to Steve – to his taste, to his smell, to _him_ – there was no possibility that he could ever do it for anyone not Steve.  
  
Steve moaned quietly when Danny took in the tip of his erection, laving the sensitive skin with his tongue. He was not going to hurry this. Blowing Steve had been one of his favorite pastimes since the first time he’d done it. It was strange to do it without his hands but from the sounds Steve was making, it was working just as well.  
  
The floor was hard beneath his knees, the cushion not providing much relief, but he barely noticed. His every sense was filled with _Steve_. As it should be, he thought.  
  
He could tell when Steve was getting close, the pre-cum more plentiful, the sounds louder and less restrained. Steve was moaning with each breath, his fingers buried deep in Danny’s hair. Danny’s jaws were beginning to ache but he shoved the discomfort aside. Paying attention to only the essence of the man he loved kept him going, sucking and tonguing until he felt the tightening that announced his success.  
  
He swallowed as quickly as he could, some spit mixing with come to dribble down his chin. Steve eased him back, reluctantly letting his softening cock leave the dark wetness of Danny’s mouth.  
  
“Nicely done,” Steve said, reaching forward to swipe Danny’s chin for him. “Go clean up. Spit and rinse if you want.”  
  
Danny nodded, getting to his feet and making sure his wobbly legs would support him before going to the half bath. His straining erection pointed the way and he looked down at it, trying to wish it away.  
  
He left the door open even though he hadn’t been told to. It seemed like the thing to do. After rinsing out his mouth and splashing water on his face, he returned to stand in front of Steve where he still sat. He was surprised when Steve handed up his coffee cup, Danny gratefully sipping from it.  
  
“I see you enjoyed it,” Steve said, leaning forward to fist Danny’s still firm erection. Danny nodded, gasping when Steve stroked him harder. “Don’t come.”  
  
Danny shifted, counted backward from 100, thought about broccoli and pineapple on pizza, tried to remember the last time he’d had the oil changed on the Camaro. Nothing helped. The more Steve touched him, the harder he got. His erection was fully hard and leaking but still Steve touched him. “Uhn…” Danny groaned before he could stop it.  
  
He was still holding his cup with both hands, staring wide-eyed down at Steve’s hands, hands he loved to touch him. But this time it was torture. “Uhn…” Danny said sharply, biting his lower lip. He knew he’d be in trouble when he erupted in Steve’s hands.  
  
Steve smiled, leaning forward to lick him clean. “You know what this means.” He removed the coffee cup from Danny’s unresisting hands, putting it out of the way on the end table.  
  
Danny looked at him with anger on his face and making his eyes spark. How was this fair? Steve had done exactly what he knew would bring Danny off the fastest. He had a dick up his ass nudging his prostate every time he moved. He’d blown Steve and now he was going to be punished for having an orgasm? This is not at all how he envisioned this day going.  
  
Through his post-orgasm haze and angry indignation, he realized that Steve was talking to him. He managed to focus on Steve’s mouth, hearing the words at last.  
  
“…you don’t think it’s fair,” Steve was saying. “It’s part of what you agreed to. Stay right here.”  
  
Danny had no intentions of moving and adding to the already unfair punishment. He jerked in reflex when Steve sat back in front of him and cleaned his penis and stomach with a damp, warm cloth.  
  
“Is that better?” Steve asked gently.  
  
Danny mutely nodded, struggling to keep his unhappiness off his face.  
  
“Go stand in that corner. For five minutes. I’ll set the timer,” Steve said, showing Danny the kitchen timer that he had set to five minutes.  
  
Danny looked at the corner Steve pointed to before looking back down at Steve.  
  
“What? You may speak.”  
  
“Is that my punishment?” Danny whispered.  
  
“Yes. Unless you want a different one,” Steve said.  
  
Danny shook his head, going to the indicated corner.  
  
“Put your hands on top of your head,” Steve said, placing the timer where Danny could see it. Danny did as instructed, staring at the joining of the walls in front of him. Steve patted his bottom before moving away. He stopped when Danny gasped, returning to his side. “What’s wrong, babe?”  
  
Danny risked additional punishment by reaching out and taking a firm hold of Steve’s shirt, bunching it up in his fist. He looked up at Steve with mute pleading in his eyes.  
  
“I’m not going any further than the couch,” Steve promised. He put his hands on Danny’s shoulders, shifting his stance slightly. “There. Now you’ll be able to see me.” Steve went to the couch and sat, smiling over at Danny. “Okay?”  
  
Danny visibly relaxed, emptying his mind as he waited for the timer to chime. When it went off, he jerked slightly, the sound startling him.  
  
“Come over here,” Steve ordered from the couch where he still sat. Danny picked it up to carry it to Steve. Steve accepted it to turn it off, reaching up a hand for Danny. “We’re going to watch the Jets game. You can talk about football but nothing else.”  
  
“Thank you,” Danny said. He allowed Steve to guide him onto the couch, between Steve’s spread legs. Steve was sitting sideways on the couch, leaning back against one of the padded arms. That made plenty of room for Danny to sit in front on him.  
  
Steve encircled him with his arm, hugging him. “I’m very proud of you,” Steve said when he had the football game turned on. “You are much more obedient than I expected.”  
  
Danny turned in his arms to look at him, a question on his face.  
  
“What, babe? You can ask,” Steve said.  
  
“Are you disappointed?”  
  
“Not at all. Do you like your collar?” Steve asked, running a finger between it and Danny’s skin.  
  
“Yes,” Danny admitted quietly.  
  
“That embarrasses you too,” Steve guessed.  
  
“Yes,” Danny repeated, looking down at Steve’s hand that was rubbing his stomach. It felt good, comforting.  
  
“We’ll work on acceptance. It will come with time,” Steve promised, still caressing Danny’s bare skin.  
  
Danny shrugged at that, turning to watch the game. Steve kissed him gently, laughing when Danny’s stomach growled. “Are you hungry?”  
  
Danny shook his head, gazing longingly at his coffee cup.  
  
“Here,” Steve said, handing him the cup. “There’s still some in the pot. I’ll get it for you when you’re finished.”  
  
Danny nodded at that, drinking more of his coffee. He was watching the TV, frowning.  
  
“What?” Steve asked, watching the game.  
  
“What the hell? Was that supposed to be a pass?” Danny demanded.  
  
“Accuracy isn’t his forte,” Steve agreed.  
  
Danny continued to watch the game as Steve continued to touch him. _Pet him_ seemed to be the best description for what he was doing. Not that Danny minded. Except when Steve’s hand wandered lower and he buried his fingers into the blond curls at the base of Danny’s penis. Danny gasped and shifted, not trying to get away. Even though he had just come a few minutes earlier, if Steve kept touching him like he was, it wouldn’t take long for him to prove how much he was enjoying it.  
  
“Look at that,” Danny said, pointing at the receiver who was laying on the turf. “I could have caught that. What is his problem? Is he blind? Stupid Jets. They don’t deserve to win.”  
  
Steve couldn’t help but laugh at Danny’s indignation at the poor play of his beloved Jets. “What would you do if you were a fan of a team that won all the time?”  
  
Danny shrugged against Steve’s chest, watching the game and yelling at the team for all their faults. “You want more coffee?” Steve asked, kissing Danny’s cheek. Danny shook his head, giving his empty cup to Steve to deal with.  
  
When Steve had sat it down, Danny turned to look at him, a question etched on his face.  
  
“What?” Steve asked.  
  
Danny pointed toward the half bath and down to himself.  
  
“Not yet. You can wait,” Steve said, caressing Danny’s stomach.  
  
Danny frowned at him, shifting in discomfort.  
  
“Is that the cause of this?” Steve asked, circling Danny’s forming erection.  
  
Danny put a hand on top of Steve’s before shifting again.  
  
“You can wait,” Steve repeated, his right hand tweaking Danny’s nipples as his left continued to play with his hardening penis. “I think next time we’ll use a cock ring,” Steve said conversationally. Danny didn’t react to those words, too busy trying not to embarrass himself and ruin their couch.  
  
Danny waited a few more plays before pointing at the bathroom even more urgently than before.  
  
“All right,” Steve said, allowing him to leave the couch. “Come straight back.”  
  
Danny wasted no time going over to the bathroom and taking care of his body’s needs. When he had finished, he crossed directly back over to the couch, returning to the circle of Steve’s arms.  
  
“That better?” Steve asked as he kissed the side of his head.  
  
Danny nodded enthusiastically before focusing back on the TV. Steve resumed petting him, his hands everywhere.  
  
“It’s 11:30,” Steve said into his ear, startling Danny. Danny turned in his arms to look at him, waiting. “I’m going to fuck you. What do you think of that?”  
  
Danny looked at him with his mouth open, his eyes wide.  
  
“No?” Steve asked, kissing his mouth, his tongue seeking entry. Danny joined in the kiss with enthusiasm, turning to face Steve. “Maybe?” Steve teased, kissing him again.  
  
“Mmm…” Danny groaned, initiating the next hard kiss.  
  
“That’s what I thought,” Steve said, reaching around behind Danny’s body to ease the dildo down before reinserting it. “Are you sore?”  
  
Danny shook his head, groaning when Steve did to him again. The motions when straight to his penis, firming it instantly. “Uhnnn…” Danny groaned.  
  
“Get the lube out of the box,” Steve whispered into Danny’s ear. Danny eased off Steve, standing slowly to focus on the box. As he reached in for the lube, Steve shifted on the couch, sitting the regular way in the center, his feet on the floor as he leaned against the back cushions.  
  
Danny held the bottle out to Steve who shook his head. “Take off my jeans.” Danny put the bottle on the end table, staring down at Steve’s fly. “You can use your hands,” Steve laughed. That freed Danny to open Steve’s jeans, backing up as he pulled them down Steve’s long, long legs and off his feet. He dropped them on the floor before crawling back over Steve’s body, kissing him everywhere he could reach. He backed up enough to blow over Steve’s erection before licking across the tip, smiling when Steve groaned. He smiled up at Steve, licking him again. “Turn around,” Steve instructed. Danny stood again, bending over and feeling foolish to be facing away from Steve in that position. He forgot about the embarrassment when Steve eased the rubber intruder out of his body. He put it on a towel on the coffee table, taking Danny’s hand. Danny automatically turned back to face him, smiling down at him. Steve reached over for the lube, handing it to Danny.  
  
Danny coated Steve thoroughly, needing to make sure he was plenty slick. Steve gasped as Danny stroked him, his hips rising when Danny reached the top of his erection. Danny was Steve’s magnetic north.  
  
“You need it inside you?” Steve asked breathlessly when Danny carefully set it aside.  
  
Danny shook his head, licking his lips in anticipation.  
  
“Across my thighs. Face down,” Steve instructed.  
  
Danny frowned. How did that make sense? He thought they were going to _do it_. That wasn’t going to happen in the position Steve told him to assume.  
  
“I’m waiting,” Steve said sternly, his arms up to make room for him. Danny frowned but lay over his thighs, his ass raised by Steve’s legs. That’s when Danny realized what this meant. “I’m only going to hit you 10 times. A demonstration. When that’s done, we’ll finish what we started.”  
  
Danny sighed. At least it was only 10. Steve’s erection was poking him in the side, making him need Steve even more. He thought being spanked was unfair but also knew what he thought wasn’t important.  
  
Steve rubbed over the tempting backside displayed to him, feeling Danny’s resistance. “If you relax, it will hurt less,” Steve instructed. Danny took another deep breath, consciously releasing the tension from his body. “Better,” Steve said in approval. With that, Steve hit him the first time, not more than a light love pat. Each time Steve hit him, it was harder than the last. The pain began to slowly build until Steve stopped, rubbing over the pinked skin. “How was that?”  
  
Danny shrugged, looking over his shoulder at Steve. His expression was a mix of emotions, some Steve couldn’t name.  
  
“Tell me,” Steve said, still rubbing his tempting backside.  
  
Danny squirmed until he was laying face up, the evidence clear.  
  
“I see,” Steve laughed, encircling his very firm erection. “You enjoyed it?”  
  
“Yes. But I don’t like admitting it,” Danny said quietly.  
  
“I know, babe. It’s very complicated, isn’t it?”  
  
Danny nodded, sitting and shifting until he was straddling Steve, his knees pressed close to Steve’s hips. Steve’s erection was tied for firmness with Danny’s, Danny wrapping a fist around them both.  
  
“Will you punish me again when I come?” Danny whispered.  
  
“No, babe. Let yourself feel everything,” Steve instructed gently.  
  
Danny nodded, kissing him as he pumped both of their erections. Steve followed his hand when it went up, seeking the warmth.  
  
“Scoot forward,” Danny requested into Steve’s ear before biting the lobe.  
  
Steve did it, slumping on the couch. Danny rucked his shirt up high enough to nip and lick him. He took Steve’s left nipple between his teeth, biting it just hard enough to get a reaction.  
  
“You ready?” Danny asked into Steve’s ear after he bit the right one.  
  
“Been ready,” Steve admitted, holding onto Danny’s hips when he raised up. Steve guided his own erection, keeping it steady as Danny slid down onto it. Danny had to stop, to allow his body the chance to adjust. “Okay?” Steve asked, kissing him.  
  
“Good. Real good,” Danny said. He remained still over Steve, enjoying the fullness of having him inside. If there was pain, he wasn’t going to complain or even comment. His butt was a tiny bit sore from the spanking but not so much as to be a bother. More a reminder than anything. While he was holding still over Steve, he pulled Steve’s shirt off, throwing it on the floor.  
  
“Is that better?” Steve teased, kissing him again.  
  
“Always,” Danny agreed, leaning over to lick one of the intricate tattoos.  
  
“Am I hurting you?” Steve asked, raising his hips.  
  
“No,” Danny said, shaking his head. “Oh. Can I talk?”  
  
Steve laughed. “Little late to ask now.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Danny said with a frown.  
  
“No, babe. It’s fine. Talk all you want.”  
  
“Really?” Danny asked.  
  
“Yes really. Hearing you is almost as good as being inside you,” Steve said.  
  
Danny laughed at that, slowly raising himself over Steve. They both moaned at the sensation, Danny lowering his body.  
  
“Okay?” Steve asked.  
  
“You don’t need to worry. I’m fine,” Danny assured him.  
  
Steve nodded, gripping Danny’s hips even tighter. He thought Danny would be sporting finger shaped bruises there tomorrow and he found he couldn’t mind. He hoped Danny didn’t object.  
  
Using his hold on Danny, Steve guided him up and down, Danny enthusiastically following his silent instructions. A bonus was that Danny had the opportunity to not only kiss Steve the entire time but occasionally back up enough to see his beautiful face.  
  
Danny was getting harder and harder though he had considered that impossible until it began to happen. Steve’s hand was wrapped around his, not controlling his movements on his erection, following rather than leading. His left hand was on Steve’s shoulder, using to help with the leverage.  
  
Steve was talking to him but he couldn’t make out the words. Not that it mattered. He heard the love in his tone and that was all he really needed to know. He leaned into Steve to kiss him, both of them breathing hard through their noses. The sensations were building higher and higher, Danny’s motions over Steve increasing in speed with their combined need.  
  
He tightened his muscles around Steve, angling his hips so Steve hit his prostate with each thrust. That’s all it took for Danny to spill all over their entwined hands. He could feel Steve’s release deep inside, Steve’s fist tightening in reflex.  
  
Danny slumped onto Steve, Steve wrapping his arms around Danny’s limp, post-orgasmic form. “Nice,” Danny whispered into Steve’s collarbone.  
  
“Very nice,” Steve agreed, kissing the side of his head. “Let me up so I can get us a cloth.”  
  
Danny barely managed to shift off of his Steve shaped pillow, sliding down the couch until he was stretched out, his feet still on the floor. That’s how Steve found him when he returned with a warm cloth.  
  
“Look at you,” Steve laughed, picking his feet up onto the couch. “I think I broke you.”  
  
“Uh huh,” Danny agreed, one arm flung over his eyes. “Totally broken.”  
  
“You’ll be fixed in no time,” Steve predicted, gently cleaning Danny’s stomach and thighs. “Raise up a little.”  
  
Danny managed to lift his hips off the couch, Steve tidying him up.  
  
“There,” Steve said in satisfaction.  
  
“Come here, please,” Danny requested, holding a hand out to Steve. Steve complied, laying half on top, half beside Danny, his fingers reverently touching the blond curls on Danny’s chest.  
  
“This better?” Steve asked.  
  
“The best,” Danny confirmed.  
  
“Yeah,” Steve agreed, levering up on one elbow. “Lift your head.”  
  
Danny did it, waiting as Steve unfastened his collar and reached over to put it in the toy box. Steve was surprised to turn back to a frowning Danny.  
  
“What’s with the frowny face?” Steve asked him, kissing the corner of his mouth.  
  
“I like my collar,” Danny said quietly.  
  
“And you hate that you like it,” Steve guessed.  
  
“Uh huh. Why is this so complicated?”  
  
“It just is, babe. Let’s take a quick nap and then we’ll talk about it,” Steve suggested.  
  
“Do I have to discuss it?” Danny asked, holding firmly to Steve.  
  
“Not if you don’t want to,” Steve conceded. “I thought you might want to.”  
  
“Not yet. Later. Tomorrow. Or, you know, never,” Danny said to Steve’s laughter.  
  
“Are we going to do this again?” Steve asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
“Why are you even asking me?” Danny replied.  
  
“Because if you say no, it’s no,” Steve reminded him.  
  
“You really think there is a chance in hell or otherwise that I would say no?”  
  
Steve laughed again, kissing Danny gently. “Go to sleep.”  
  
“Mmm…you too,” Danny mumbled, instantly out.


End file.
